Silver State Times

Nevada’s unemployment beneficiaries are urged to begin job hunting after the head of Nevada's department of employment revealed that federal extended unemployment benefits are scheduled to end in early September.

"There is an increased sense of urgency because these programs are winding down," Elisa Cafferata, director of Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, recently told Fox 5 Vegas. "So now is a really good time to be out there, doing what you can to find a new spot to work."

Over 122,000 people are currently unemployed across the state, with nearly 109,000 people unemployed in Clark County alone, Fox 5 Vegas reported.

To reduce the struggle businesses face while trying to recruit new workers, the National Federation of Independent Business Nevada requested the suspension of $300 weekly assistance checks distributed to help families endure hardships caused by the pandemic. Gov. Steve Sisolak granted the appeal.

Nevada added 15,400 jobs in June, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. The total state employment level in the state stands at 1,336,000, while the unemployment rate in June remained at 7.8%, a 7.6% decrease from last year’s figures.

In a letter addressed to the governor, Randi Thompson, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, revealed that small businesses are facing inabilities to operate that are similar to when the pandemic was first declared. The director’s concerns are reflected and validated by the organization's recent survey, which indicated that 46% of all business owners have job openings they are having trouble filling, doubling a nearly 50-year average of 22%. 

"Small businesses are struggling in Nevada because they can not find the labor they need to operate, yet the state is doing little to encourage the 190,000 Nevadans who are unemployed to get back to work,” Thompson said.